By Peter Omopo
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has inaugurated the maiden edition of the rotational Oyo State Council of Obas, appointing the Olubadan of Ibadanland as chairman of the council for an initial two-year term.
The inauguration follows the recent passage of an amendment to the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs Law by the Oyo State House of Assembly, which introduced a rotational chairmanship arrangement among first-class traditional rulers in the state.
However, the development has continued to generate reactions, with the Oyo Forum, Abuja, expressing strong opposition to the rotational chairmanship clause. The group had earlier urged Governor Makinde to withhold assent to the amended law, warning that the provision could undermine the historical and cultural significance of the Alaafin of Oyo stool.
In a statement jointly signed by the Forum’s Chairman, Engineer Segun Owolabi, and its Chairman of Media and Publicity, Ambassador Tunde Mustapha, the group argued that the Alaafin institution holds symbolic and ancestral relevance beyond Oyo State and across the entire Yoruba nation.
According to the statement, “The Alaafin institution transcends the boundaries of Oyo State, holding symbolic and ancestral relevance for the entire Yoruba race. To reduce it to a rotating political office is to desecrate a legacy that predates Nigeria’s modern history.”
Despite the objections, Governor Makinde proceeded with the inauguration of the council, marking the formal commencement of the rotational leadership structure. Further details on the implementation of the new arrangement are expected to emerge in the coming days.
